Inkflow control for a printing press



Oct. 29, 1968 B. STACH INKFLOW CONTROL FOR A PRINTING PRESS Filed Aug. 17, 1966 FIGI lNVENTOR BENEDICT STACH BY Mug/M ISI'TORNEYS United States Patent 3,407,729 INKFLOW CONTROL FOR A PRINTING PRESS Benedict Stach, 15273 Fordham, Detroit, Mich. 48205 Filed Aug. 17, 1966, Ser. No. 577,567 Claims. (Cl. 101-347) The present invention relates to an inkflow control for a printing press and more particularly to a removable and replaceable ink cartridge assembly mountable within and upon a printing press and with valved type of control means thereon for variably controlling and metering the outflow of ink from the said cartridge onto the conventional inking plate of such printing press.

Heretofore various problems have arisen in the regulation and control of the inkflow onto a printing roller.

Difficulties are also experienced when it is necessary to change the color of the ink, a problem which has long existed. It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a convenient means for changing the colors by providing a series of replaceable, interchangeable cartridges with associated ink metering and control means, which cartridges may be easily and simply removed and interchanged and which may be regulated in a simple manner to produce the desired inking results.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specification and claims in conjunction with the appended drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, perspective view of portions of a printing press, including the inking plate and framework and the present inkfiow control device therefor.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section on an enlarged scale of the present inkflow control.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary section taken in the direction of arrows 33 of FIG. 2.

It will be understood that the above drawing illustrates merely a preferred embodiment of the invention, and that other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claims hereafter set forth.

Referring to the drawing, the printing press fragmentarily and schematically indicated generally at 11 includes a conventional type of circular inking plate 12 onto which measured amounts of ink are delivered by the present inkflow control device indicated at 16, and said printing press normally including a form of inking roller 13 adapted for reciprocal movement over the inking plate employing yoke 14 and reciprocal rod 15, details of which are. schematically shown since the primary objective here is to disclose and describe applicants inkfiow control for such printing press.

The portion of the frame of the printing press designated at 18 fragmentarily shown represents the framework of a printing press in association with the inking plate 12 and upon which an elongated, cylindrical casing 17 is anchored as through the apertured frame portions 18, FIG. 2, arranged above said inking plate as shown in FIG. 1, and including in and along and through its bottom wall an elongated radial ink delivery slot 22. Cylindrical casing 17 has one end wall 19 apertured at 20 and at its opposite end is closed by the removable, threaded cap 21. A series of transverse arcuate slots 23 are formed adjacent the top wall portion of said casing to permit angular adjustments of the handles 39 hereafter described in conjunction with the ink control mechanism.

Ink cartridge 24 containing a supply of ink 36 of a predetermined color includes a cylindrical body made up of a series of similar co-axial sleeves 25, 27 and 29, which have the same outside diameter and which are threadedly interconnected internally as at 28 and 30.

While the cart-ridge could consist of a single elongated cylindrical sleeve, there is provided in one form of the invention a series of such sleeves with sleeve 25 having an end wall 26 apertured to receive and support the outwardly projecting inlet fitting 33, which extends through the aperture 20 in casing end wall 19 and which includes ball check valve 34, being adapted to have connected thereto air hose 35 from a suitable source of air under pressure.

The sleeve 29 is closed by the plug 311 threaded thereinto which plug is adapted for nesting within casing 17 after which in the assembly of the present cartridge the cap 21 is re-assembled in position.

The present cylindrical cartridge includes along and through the bottom wall of the respective sleeves 25, 27, and 29 a series of longitudinally spaced outlets 32 extending therethrough and in registry with the elongated casing outlet slot 22, the said sleeves 25, 27 and 29, once assembled within casing 18 remaining stationary.

Control mechanism for the said cartridge includes an elongated, cylindrical control sleeve, FIG. 2, which is rotatably journalled upon and along the said cartridge assembly and loosely within the casing 17.

In the present illustrative embodiment the control sleeve consists of a series of sleeve elements 37, each of similar construction and which are loosely and rotatively mounted over the respective cartridge sleeves 25, 27 and 29. Each of the control sleeves 37 includes through its wall a series of correspondingly spaced control outlets or apertures 38, which normally register with the cartridge outlets 32 for regulating the flow of ink from the cartridge outlets to and through the casing outlet 22, depending upon the rotated position of the control sleeves 37 and their control outlets 38 with respect to the cartridge outlets 32.

A series of radially extending handles 39 extend through the transverse arcuate slots 23, respectively, in casing 17 and threadedly connected respectively as at 40 to the individual control sleeves 37. These handles 39 are assembled to the cartridge assembly and control sleeves. The cartridge assembly and sleeves are inserted within casing 17 with said handles projected through slots 41 and 42 and cap 21 re laced.

In the assembly shown in FIG. 2, the forward-most control sleeve 37 rotatively and cooperatively bears against the end wall 19 of the casing. The outer flange of the cap 31 for the cartridge cooperatively and retainingly bears against the other end sleeve 37, which is thus snugly, but loosely, assembled within casing 17. Endwise movement of the cartridge assembly, including the control sleeve 37 is limited by the positioning of the plug 31 with respect to cap 21.

At the same time respective handles 39 may be individually rotated in their respective slots 23 for providing relative rotation of the control sleeve 37 with respect to the sleeve elements 25, 27, and 29, which form a part of the cartridge. Thus, the control apertures 38 in the respective control sleeves 37 may be in full registry with the cartridge outlet apertures 32 or may be in variable registry therewith for variably regulating or in fact cutting off the flow of ink from the interior of said cartridge. In the present illustration, the supply of compressed air delivered through the hose 35 establishes a reasonable pressure head for assuring a smooth feed of the ink out from cartridge apertures 32; under the control of the sleeve apertures 38 for delivery through the casing slot 22 onto the inking plate 12.

In the illustrative embodiment shown, a series of sleeves 37 have been provided arranged end to end and relatively rotatable with respect to each other and with respect to the cartridge sleeves. It is contemplated, however, that the control sleeve 37 could be a unit sleeve which extends the full length of the cartridge and is controlled in its rotation by a single handle 39 to achieve similar results.

One advantage of providing a separate control sleeve 37 is that oftentimes it is desired that the ink supplied to various parts of the inking plate be different. By the present construction by variably rotating the control sleeves 37, it is seen that the amount of ink which flows through apertures 32 may be regulated across the diameter of the inking plate. Furthermore, it is contemplated as part of the present invention that one or both of the cartridge sleeve elements and its corresponding outlets 32 could be fully closed and with ink only being delivered in variably controlled amounts through the central cartridge sleeve element 37, depending upon the extent of rotation of the individual handles 39.

It is noted furthermore that a small amount of limited relative rotation of the sleeve elements 25, 27, and 29 would not disconnect the said sleeves in view of their threaded connections and in view of the registry of the plug 31 with respect to cap 21.

In the simplest form of the present invention, a cartridge could consist of a single cylindrical sleeve having a series of outlet apertures through its bottom wall. The control sleeves again could be of unit form having a similar series of longitudinally spaced apertures in its bottom wall and by rotating the outer control sleeve and its apertures with respect to the outlets or apertures of the inner cartridge sleeve the flow of ink onto the inking plate can be variably controlled or cut off completely.

For example, in the storage of the ink cartridge the respective sleeve or control sleeves 37 are sufiiciently rotated with respect to the cartridge sleeve elements as to completely close off the ink from flowing outwardly therefrom when the cartridge is not in use, taking into consideration the closure plug 31 and the ball check 34, which prevents any outflow of ink from the assembled cartridge 25, 27, and 29.

It is contemplated under some conditions as a part of the present invention that the source of air pressure through the hose and the use of the ball check 34 may not be required with the ink being merely permitted to fall by gravity and with the end wall of the sleeve element 35 being imperforate.

Having described my invention, reference should now be had to the following claims. I claim:

1. An inkflow control for a printing press having a frame and an inking plate onto which measured amounts of ink are delivered;

an elongated, cylindrical casing mounted on said frame above said inking plate having in its bottom wall an elongated, vertical ink delivery slot therethrough; an elongated, cylindrical cartridge containing ink removably nested in said Casing including along its bottom wall a series of longtudinally spaced outlets in vertical registry with said slot; an inlet fitting with a ball check mounted on one end of said cartridge and projected through the end wall of said casing, adapted for connection with a source of air pressure;

Cir

a control sleeve rotatably journalled upon and along said cartridge and within said casing, there being a corresponding series of longitudinally spaced control outlets in the wall of said sleeve adapted for registry with said cartridge outlets and progressively out of registry therewith to variably control and cut off the flow of ink from said cartridge through said slot;

and an arcuately movably control handle projecting from said sleeve and loosely through a slot in said casing.

2. In the inkflow control of claim 1, said cartridge including a series of similar co-axial sleeves threadedly interconnected, one outer sleeve at one end mounting said inlet fitting;

and a plug threaded into the outer end of the other outer sleeve.

3. In the inkflow control of claim 1, said cartridge including a series of similar co-axial sleeves threadedly interconnected, said control sleeve including a corresponding series of aligned relatively rotatable sleeve elements arranged end to end;

and a corresponding arcuately movable handle for each sleeve element by which the sleeve elements may be rotatively adjusted individually to variably control inkflow from the respective cartridge sleeves. 4. In the inkflow control of claim 1, said control sleeve including a series of aligned, relatively rotatable sleeve elements arranged end to end, and a corresponding arcuately movable handle for each of said sleeve elements, by which the sleeve elements may be rotatively adjusted respectvely to variably control inkflow from the respective cartridge outlets.

5. An inkflow control for a printing press having a frame and an inking plate onto which measured amounts of ink are delivered;

an elongated, cylindrical casing mounted on said frame above said inking plate having in its bottom wall an elongated, vertical ink delivery slot therethrough;

an elongated, cylindrical cartridge containing ink removably nested in said casing including along its bottom wall a series of longitudinally spaced outlets in vertical registry with said slot;

a control sleeve rotatably journalled upon and along said cartridge and within said casing, there being a corresponding series of longitudinally spaced control outlets in the wall of said sleeve adapted for registry with said cartridge outlets and progressively out of registry therewith to variable control and cut oif the flow of ink from said cartridge through said slot;

and an arcuately movably control handle projecting from said sleeve and loosely through a slot in said casing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,390,383 9/1921 Powell 222486 X 2,065,279 12/1936 Kline 101-347 2,893,318 7/1959 Kreher 101366 3,072,303 1/1963 Monk 222--565 X ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

J. R. FISHER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN INKFLOW CONTROL FOR PRINTING PRESS HAVING A FRAME AND AN INKING PLATE ONTO WHICH MEASURED AMONTS OF INK ARE DELIVERED; AN ELONGATED, CYLINDRICAL CASING MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME ABOVE SAID INKING PLATE HAVING IN ITS BOTTOM WALL AN ELONGATED, VERTICAL INK DELIVERY SLOT THERETHROUGH; AN ELONGATED, CYLINDRICAL CARTRIDGE CONTAINING INK REMOVABLY NESTED IN SAID CASING INCLUDING ALONG ITS BOTTOM WALL A SERIES OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED OUTLETS IN VERTICAL REGISTRY WITH SAID SLOT; AN INLET FITTING WITH A BALL CHECK MOUNTED ON ONE END OF SAID CARTRIDGE AND PROJECTED THROUGH THE END WALL OF SAID CASING, ADAPTED FOR CONNECTION WITH A SOURCE OF AIR PRESSURE; A CONTROL SLEEVE ROTATABLY JOURNALLED UPON AND ALONG SAID CARTRIDGE AND WITHIN SAID CASING, THERE BEING A CORRESPONDING SERIES OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED CONTROL OUTLETS IN THE WALL OF SAID SLEEVE ADAPTED FOR REGISTRY WITH SAID CARTRIDGE OUTLERS AND PROGRESSIVELY OUT OF REGISTRY THEREWITH TO VARIABLY CONTROL AND CUT OFF THE FLOW OF INK FROM SAID CARTRIDGE THROUGH SAID SLOT; AND AN ARCUATELY MOVABLY CONTROL HANDLE PROJECTING FROM SAID SLEEVE AND LOOSELY THROUGH A SLOT IN SAID CASING. 